Community News

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met in regular session Monday, January 16 to discuss a full agenda of items, including AFLAC Insurance coverage for City employees, a Storm Water Utility Fee and Trenchless Storm Sewer work. There were no public comments heard or written.

Under Departmental Reports, Water and Sewer Superintendent Bob Campbell discussed some problems with an electric panel at the pump house and recommended that an engineer may be needed to create a retrofitted repair in this case, due to the age of this panel and difficulty in finding replacement parts.

The Airport Hangar agenda item was moved up for discussion with Airport Board member Jim Wadsworth present. Wadsworth provided a recommendation that new hangars at the airport should be uniform in building style to improve the airport's appearance. Wadsworth discussed several ideas and policies for improving the airport.

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon will host a Table Game Event Saturday, January 21 with games suitable for the whole family. The event will be held from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in the lower level Community Room of the library.

Participants can register for door prizes and play (or learn to play) beginner-friendly, non-competitive, casual table games. A variety of table games are available for ages preschool through adult, including: Apples to Apples, Backgammon, Candy Land, Checkers, Chess, Connect 4, Dixit, Elephant’s Trunk, Exploding Kittens, Gotcha!, Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, Takenoko, Zombie Dice and more.

Participants can also bring their own table game and their own snacks. Children age eight and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult. This is a free program for all ages to enjoy with family, friends or fellow game enthusiasts.

Austin Brink of Waukon had a photograph he entered in the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) "Capture the Heart of America" Photo Contest win the People's Choice Award. Brink's photo, "The Old Wind Mill" (pictured at right), was awarded that honor after receiving the most "likes" by members of the public voting through the SSNHA Facebook page.
Brink's photo was taken in rural Waukon and was entered in the American Farmscapes category of the photo contest. He was awarded a $50 prize in recognition of the honor.

For the first time in its history, there was a tie for Best of Show in the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) Capture the Heart of America Photo Contest. Greg Punelli of Des Moines, with the photo "Show Time," and Willard Sharp of Madrid, with the photo "Moon Lit," tied for Best of Show, with Punelli being awarded Best of Show honors following online voting.

Despite temperatures well below freezing in the single-digit range for the first week of the New Year, a small natural spring that emerged at the corner of West Street and First Avenue SW in Waukon (at the corner of the Waukon State Bank main bank parking lot behind Waukon Greenhouse) following this past year's heavy rains continued to flow, alarming some citizens while causing others to reminisce. City of Waukon Water Superintendent Bob Campbell advised the Waukon City Council at a recent meeting that the high water table remaining after this past year's series of heavy rain events has resulted in the naturally-occurring underground spring finding its way back to the surface. Campbell advised that he had once been told by the Howe brothers who were once caretakers of the Waukon State Bank that the spring location had once served as a watering hole for area horses before the days of motorized vehicles and further development within the Waukon community.

by Joe Moses

The Waukon City Council met Tuesday, January 3 in the first regular session of 2017, delayed a day due to observance of the New Year holiday. Among the agenda items discussed were appointments of various City positions and employees, establishing an Airport Capital Improvements Fund and discussion and review of estimates for new City Hall windows.

No comments were made during the Public Comments portion of the meeting. Under Departmental Reports, Water and Sewer Superintendent Bob Campbell discussed the increase in seepage and water flow during rainfalls due to older manhole covers installed in the 1980s. Campbell indicated that there are six to eight manhole covers that may need to be addressed or included with other projects in the future.

Those who may be interested in discussing the books they read with other readers, in meeting new people, in looking for a new author or genre to read but not quite ready to jump all in just yet, or who are simply at a loss for what to read next are invited to join the Thursday Night Book Club held at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon the third Thursday of every month.

All are welcome to attend. Book discussions coming up during the monthly Thursday Night Book Club sessions for the early half of the 2017 calendar include:

• January 19: Classic
• February 16: By a Foreign Author
• March 16: About Someone You Admire
• April 20: An Author You’ve Never Read
• May 18: All-Iowa Reads - Bottomland by Michelle Hoover
• June 15: Non-Fiction.

Have trees curbside by 7 a.m. this Saturday

Boy Scout Troop 64 of Waukon is conducting its annual city-wide Christmas tree pick-up this Saturday, January 7 as a service project. Trees will be used to provide shelter for animal habitat in rural Waukon.

Residents are requested to place their “live” trees curbside before 7 a.m. the day of the pick-up. Be sure to remove all ornaments and garland. Wreaths, artificial trees and other decorations will not be accepted.  For more information, contact Maura Jones at 563-568-1126.
 

by Brianne Eilers

The month of November ended with a small profit of $2,641 at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon. According to statistics shared at the hospital's recent Board of Trustees meeting, acute patient days were down 10.4% and skilled days were up 27.1% at the hospital.

“After December, I would guess that it will be the first time in the history of this place that we have more skilled (patient) days than acute (patient) days,” VMH Administrator Mike Myers said.

He noted that statewide and nationwide, inpatient volumes are dropping. “You have to be really sick to be in (the hospital), and they (hospital staff) work really hard to get you out,” he added.

The Waukon Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations from community residents for awards to be distributed at the Chamber's annual meeting scheduled for Friday, February 24. Those awards include Years of Service, Business of the Year and Person of the Year honors within the Waukon community. The Chamber will bestow those honors upon more than one individual/group or local business fitting the following award criteria:

Years of Service Awards
Businesses celebrating an anniversary of five-year increments (five, 10, 15, 20 years, etc.) in 2017 will be recognized with Years of Service Awards.

The Allamakee County Community Foundation (ACCF) is now accepting grant applications for 2017. The application is completely online and will be available at the Foundation’s website, www.dbqfoundation.org/accf. Applications are due February 1 at midnight.

Nonprofit organizations can apply for grants from the ACCF for projects or programs that address significant community issues and benefit a broad spectrum of the community. Projects must be in Allamakee County.

The ACCF awards grants in the areas of Health and Human Services; Education; Neighborhoods and Community Development; Environment; Children, Youth and Families; and Arts and Culture, including historic preservation. Preference is given to projects that: